Store-service system.



V. F. KING.

STORE SERVICE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1910.

Patented D601 29, 1914.

IIVI/ENTOR f7 \Q ATTORNEY:

- HHT AubiGEOE '59 THE l l'ATIQNIiL GAS EH16, A QO'EPQRATION OF 019.13, {ERTGJELPGRALASD i JLLLL -i .13.

nay com, own that I, Vnnxorz F. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of IiLlOIltgOZIltZlY and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Systems, of which I declare the following to he a fall, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to store service sys tems, and has for its main object to provide mechanism for assisting in the authorization of credit sales. In many commercial houses the problem of compelling sales nersons to secure proper authorization beiore making a sale on credit is a very important one. It is obviously unsafe in most cases to trust the judgment of the clerk as to whether credit should be allowed, and to compel a message being sent to some credit man who is authorized to allow credit, is a lengthy and tedious proceeding. In many cases an improvement has been made by using the telephone, over which the credit man is communicated with; but even in such cases there is nothing to show that the credit man really authorized any particular trans action, and it must depend ultimately upon the Word of the clerk.

The invention is designed, therefore to obviate this diiiiculty by providing a means for making a permanent record on a sales slip authorizing credit in a particular ca and so arranging the devices that the mere can only be operated by the cred "id not by the clerk. In particular an electrically-operated device i provided to stamp an inserted sales slip, an electrical connections to the credit mans desk. are also pro vided with means for controlling a stamping device from that point.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide improved means for operating the signaling means which indicates the presence or absence of the slip to be marked.

A further object of the invention is to operate the marking device and the clerlfs signaling means over the same line thereby dispensing with considerable Wiring.

With these and incidental objects in View the i rention consists in certain novel .teatures of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferr d form of embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing resistance Wire 3 or" Letters clerk or cnit'is ran to nians desk.

cei Ye r credit in an n s ihoneset .vith clerk and acts; a signal at the on indicate he is ready to be communicated wi clerk then reads oi the amount oi the and ;-ame of the on ier d irim and such credit to be given man then operates a switch oonti stamp and senses i on the sales s ahowever, the K83 nich are and the credit man. The cicr siring to callthe credit man,

ceiver from the hook in the nsna a circuit is then from through wires =3, 7, and 8, relay Wire 10, relay 11, wire 12, contacts 13 and 1 wires 15 52, telephone setz? and Wires 16, 1'7, l8, 19, 20 and 21 back to the generaton "Ihis energizes relays 9 and 11 and circuit an thereby closed thrcmgh the line and pilot lamps follows: line lamp; generator 5 wire 12, contacts 13 and 14, wire Wire 21, armature and Wii"5 25 34;. 2 and 21 to ti eneratcr. r'ii't lamp;

o it --4 I generator 5, Wires 38 37.. and 35,

- his desk temporarily.

the same to close a contact.

mature of relay 9 and wires 24, 23, 22 21 to the generator 5. The lighting of pilot lamp will indicate that one of the 7. ..ks wishes to communicate with the credit 3 man and the line lamp will indicate the particular station at which the clerk is employed. If desired, a buzzer may be connected in parallel with the pilot lamp 32 for use in case the credit man desires to leave This buzzer as shown, is normally disconnected, and is connected by moving the switch key l in the direction of the dotted arrow shown on said key, which movement will bring contacts 41' into at with contacts 42 and the circuit throu l the buzzer will be completed as folwires 6, 39, 38, 37', 36, tance 3 wire Li, contacts 42, 41, ll, buzzer (l0, wires 45, 31, armature 30 wires 24, 22 and21 back to the gen- 5. In such'case the buzzer 40 will sounded whenever the pilot lamp 32 is ted, thus audibly calling attention to the minunication.

be that the arrangement of just described differs Irom that neral telephone work in that the c 28 will not be extinguished if the lele 'ihone receiver is replaced on its hook.

many modern telephone exchanges lamp mls are used in place of the older annun- 1: drop and these signals are controlled lv relays whose circuit is made by removi the receiver from its hook permitting When the reer is restored, however, the relay is decner ized. In the system disclosed in the at invention the lamp 28 is, it is true, .led by relay 11 which brings arma: in contact with wire 27 and makes circuit as previously traced through the lamp, but it will be seen that this lamp circuit also passes through the coil of relay 11 and thereby retains armature 26 in contact 5 with wire This latter relay is therefore a'locking relay and maintains its own circuit closed, 'lo extinguish lamp 28 it is necessary to more switch key. 3 in the-direction of the dotted arrow and thereby dis; 0 connect the contacts 13 and 14. The circuit the line lamp 28 also passes through the iy 9 so as to keen the armature 80 said relay in contact with the wire 31 and keep thescircuitjor the pilot lamp lamp remains established,

niove 1Ili3-0f the switch key 3 1n the n of the dotted arrow to extinguish and. pilot lamps as above described so r: the contact ll into engagement with contact by which the talking circuit is established. This circuit includes the generator 5, wires 6, 3 9 and l-'7, supervisory ref-,y 48, wires 49 and .50, telephone set 1,

. 51, contacts-@l'ifl-wiresl5 and 52 teleblished as long as the circuit forthcphone set 2, wires 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 back to the generator 5. With the system as shown, it is not necessary that the clerk should keep the receiver to his or her ear until the credit man answers, as means are provided for sounding an alarm, as, for example, by a hell at the clerks station when the credit man is ready to answer. This means includes the switch key 3, which when moved in the direction of the full line arrow shown thereon will close contacts-53 and 54?- and thereby the signal circuit as follows: generator ,5, wires 6, 39, 38, 37, 36, 53, con tact 5%, armature 55, wire 56, armature 57, Contact 58, wire 59, interrupter 60, wire 61, armature 62, wires 63 and 64:, contacts 53 and 5%, wire 65, contacts on the opposite side of the key 3, from the contacts 53 and 54-", and which are duplicates thereof, wire 66, contacts 67 and 14, wires 68 and 69, bell 7 0, stamp 71, and wires 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 to the generator. It will readily be seen that as soon as the circuit is completed through the interrupter magnet 60, the armature 62 will be attracted, thus immediately breaking the circuit including the bell 70. Immediately upon the breaking of the circuit, the armature 62 will be released and allowed to spring back to normal position, thus again closing the bell circuit and in this way forming an interrupter to cause the necessary pulsations of current over the circuit including the bell 70. The hell ?0 may be of any ordinary form employing one or more magnetsaud an armature carrying a bell striking hammer. In many well known forms of bells the interrupter forms part of the bell proper but in the present instance it is divorced from the bell construction and located at the central switch board for the reason that whenseveral different operators stations are provided, only one interrupter mechanism need be employed, thusgreatly reducing the possibility of trouble being caused thereby. It is desirable so to divorce the interrupter from the bell, as the bell is in series with a validating stamp, and consequently, when the circuit is closed to operate the stamp, it would not be desired to have an interrupter in the circuit-as will hereinafter'readily be seen. When the signal circuit is made as above described the coils of the stamp 71 and of the interrupter 6O ofler sufiicient resistance to prevent the actuation of the stamp. Generallythe signal circuit is made when no paper is in the stamp and in this case the stamp is short circuited as at 98 as hereinafter described and any danger of operating the stamp when signaling is on tirely overcome. 4 Y

From the talking and signaling circuits as above described it will be seenthat communication ma behad over the talking circuit when t e switch 3 is moved in riaaeoe the direction of the dotted arrow to close the contacts 1% and 46, and if the credit man desires to call the clerks attention when he or she has taken the receiver away-from his or her ear, it may be done by throwing the switch 3 in the direction of the full line arrow to close the contacts :33 and 54 and thereby the circuit through the bell 70..

It is to be undersetood that there is one of the switch keys 3 for each clerk s station in the system and by the use of said keys the ordinary plug and jacks as used in telephone practice are done away with. In a system employing a number of stations considerable time is saved by the credit man in answering calls where individual switches are employed instead of the cord plug which is common to all of the station acks.

During communication between the credit man and the clerk means'are provided to indicate the absence or presence of the slip to be stamped so that in case theamount of credit asked for meets with the approval of the credit man he may close the circuit for stamping the slip as hereinafter described, and if the sli is not in place may notify the clerk of the act. The means for indicating to the credit man the absence or presence of the slip to be stamped, as herein shown, comprises a flash lamp and a circuit for the same including the generator 5, wires 6 and 72, resistance lamp 73, wire 74: which is connected to oppositely wound coils 7 5 and 7 6 furnishing a differential relay 77, a wire 7 8 connected to the coil 75, flash relay 7 9, wires 80, 81, contacts 82, 83, wires 84, 85, contacts 86, is closed by switch 3 when in talking position, wires 68, 69, bell 70, stamp 71, and wires 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, back to the generator. As the current passes over the above described circuit it energizes the relay 79 therein, so to bring its armature 88 into contact with wire 89 and thereby close a circuit to permit a part of the current to pass over the coil 76, through wires 90, 89, armature 88, Wires 91, 20 and 21 to the generator. The coils 7 5 and 7 6 ofthe relay 77 are oppositely wound to counteract each others influence on the relay so that when the current flows through said coils as just describr the relay 77 will have no effect on its armature 92 which is suitably held in contact with a wire 93 branching from the wire 90 and an additional circuit is completed for a flash lamp 9a, which includes the generator 5, wires 6, 39, 38 and 95, resistance coil 95, lamp 9i, wire 97, armature 92, wires 93, 89, armature 88, and wires 91, 20 and 21, back to the generator. This last described circuit illuminates the lamp 94 and indicates to the credit man that the slip is in position to be stamped. If the slip is not in position the circuit including contacts 86 and 14: closed by the switch 3 will be short circuited at 98 about the stamp '71 so that the equivalent resistance of the stamp circuit will be 11inch diminished thereby unbalancing the countenacting effect of the coils T5 and '76 to such an extent that the relay 7'? will be ener ized and attract its armature and thereoy break the circuit through the flash lamp 9%, w ich in: dicatcs to the credit man that the st iii-position to be lieretofore in eye to the excessive demand on these batteries in systems oi -this kind in large department stores it was iound necessary frequently to replace these batteries which required the suspension of the operation or" this part of v the system during the time taken up by the installation of new batteries.

By the above described means for operating the flash lamp it will. be seen that the current required to operate said lamp is taken from the dynamo which generates the current for the other parts of the system thereby doing away with the local batteries and it is desired to claim this feature of the invention broadly without regard to the character of the mechanism employed for accomplishing the result.

4 After the credit man ascertained that the slip representing the approved transaction is in position to be stamped, he moves switch'lin the direction of the full line arrow shown thereon, at the same time retain ing the. switch 3 in talking position. This movement of switch i closes contacts 83 and 99 and forms the following circuit through the stamp 71 generator 5, wires 0, 39, 38, 37, 30, 5i, armature 55, wire 56, armature 5?, uires 58, 100 and 101, low re sistance coil 102 of a circuit breaker 103, wires 10% and 105, contacts 99, 83, wires 106, 107 and 85. contacts ll, wires68. 09, bell 70, stamp 71 and wires 17,18, 19, 20, and 21, to the generator. In the usual operation of the apparatus, this will stamp the inserted slip and complete the operation, but a device is also provided so that if the credit man should attempt to operate the stamp while it is short-circuited from no paper having been inserted, an additional signal will be brought into operation to SQNG in conjunction with flash lamp ill to announce to the credit man that the sales slip has not been inserted in the stamp. This device comprises a single stroke bell 1107 connected in series with a high resistance winding 108 of circuit breaker 103. If an attempt is made to close contacts 83 and 99 while stamp 71 is short-circuited at 98, a circuit t very low resistance will be made, including shortcircuit 98 and the low-resistance winding 102- of circuit breaker 103. This would allow a large amountof current to ilow over the wire, enough possibly to cause damage to the system, by burning out some part thereof, and means are therefore provided for throwing into circuit under such conditions the high resistance coil 108 of circuit breaker 103. When the stamp 71 is short-circuited, as above described, the circuit breaker 103 will be energized suiiiciently to attract the armatures 55 and 57 and thereby break the circuit between the armatures and the wires 54 and 58, the cir' cuit being then completed through wire 109 A branching from wire 53, bell 1107, wire 110,

resistance coils 108, 102 and then continuing throughout the circuit previously described in connection with the stamping operation. it is evident from this structure that if much current comes over the line through the low resistance winding 102 of circuit breaker 103, then the armature thereof will he energized, breaking contacts between the armatures and Wires 54 and 5 8 and causing the current to proceed through the signal device 1107 and over the high resistance winding 108. This both reduces the current to a value s ch that no damage will be caused to the sys em, and also announces to the credit man that no slip has been inserted in the stamping device. If, on the other hand, a slip has been inserted, thereby breaking the circuit over the wire 98 andcompelling the current to traverse the stamp coil, there will then be enough resistance in the line to prevent the armature of circuit breaker 102 from throwing inthe high re sistance winding and the alarm device 1107,

so that this signal willthen not be op erated.

From the above description it will be seen that wire 68 is used for both the stamping and ringing circuits thereby doin away with the independent wires require ,in the systems'described in the above mentioned applications of C. F. Kettering; and thus rendering the system less liable of out of order and effecting a consi erable saving in the cost of installation of same.

While there is provided a switch key 3 for each station in the system,there is only a single switch 4 which is common toall of the stations. A lamp 115 is Controlled by the relay 48 which is in the talkingpircuit and performs a similar function to the su-' I pervisory' lamps commonly used in" telephone practice,

It is thought that a detailed description of the stamp need not given as the same etting p or absence ofthejarticleto be marked; a re is fully shown and described in the above mentioned patent and application.

While certain directions and methods of operation have been described in connection with the system shown, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact methods of operation described but the same may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the scope of the invention.

While the form of mechanism shown herewith and described is admirably adapt ed to fulfil the objects primarily stated it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described as it is susceptible of embodiment in. various forms all coming within the scope of the v is because of the fact that when the 'interrupter 60 is in circuit with the bell 70 and stamp coil 71, the pulsations created'thereby'will not be of suiiicient duration to energize the coil 71 to the extent necessaryto operate its movable core. hand when the switch lever ismoved to stamping position, the circuitwill-be closed through the bell 70 and stamp coil 71 omitting, however, the interrupter 60. (louse "quentlyth'e current passing through thebell On, the other and stamp-will be a steady current and the a coil f l willbe energized to an extent sufficient to operate its movable core.

What isflclaimed is: 1. In a system of the class described, the combination with atelephone line including a pair of telephone instruments; of a maria.

ingdevice located at pne of the instruments;

-ii'switch" control'lingthe operation of said marl'ring device and lbca'ted at the other instrument; means for indicating the, presence lay' controlling the operation ofthe indicating means; a' single source of electrical current; and electrical *connectigms there [from to the telephone line,.the marking de-.

vice, and the'relay controlling the indicating means. c

' 2; In a system oi ing device located at one of the instruments;

le class desdribelii'ithef cornbinationwith a telephoneiline including: a pair of telephone instruments; of, ijnmtk a switch, controlling the oporationfol are closing said circuit, the signal being constructed to have less impedance than the electrically controlled stamp, whereby the interrupter may cause operation of said sig nal Without actuating said stamp.

15. In a system of the class described, the combination with an electromagnet having two oppositely wound coils and an armature; of a circuit Wire branching to both of'said coils; an electrically controlled stamp in circuit with one of said magnetic coils;

means for changing the resistance of the stamp circuit, this resistance being normally equivalent to that of the circuit including the other magnet coil; and a lamp With a circuit therefor controlled by said armature.-

16. In a system of the class described, the combination with a telephone line including a pair of telephone instruments; of a marked; a relay controlling the operation of the indicating means; electrical connections from a single source of electrical en ergy to the telephone line, the marking del yice, and the relay controlling the indicating means; and other means controlling the circuit for the indicating means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

VERNON F. 1 KING.

I Witnesses:

Ror C. Grass, CART. VV, RFHTQ'I 

